Weaving machine for producing terry cloth

ABSTRACT

The breast beam and related structure for producing the periodic reciprocation of the cloth and shed apex relative to the front reversal position of the reed are driven directly from the actuating means for the shafts used to form the shed. To this end, a transmission made either of a rack and pinion type or of a cam and cam follower type is used to transfer the required driving force from the shaft actuating means to a pivotally mounted lever on which the breast beam is mounted.

United States Patent Seifert 1 June 17, 1975 [54] WEAVING MACHINE FOR PRODUCING 1,316,159 9/1919 Jackson 139/115 TERRY CLOTH 1,593,980 7/1926 Lutton 139/25 2/1969 Pfarrwaller 139/25 [75] Inventor: Eberhard Seifert, Sulz-Attikon,

Switzerland [73] Assignee: Sulzer Brothers Ltd., Winterthur,

Switzerland [22] Filed: May 22, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 362,812

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data May 23, 1972 Switzerland 7575/72 [52] US. Cl. 139/25 [51] Int. Cl. D03D 39/22 [58] Field of Search 139/25, 26, 114, 115

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,222,524 4/1917 Chernack 139/115 IllIIllI/IIIIIIIIIII Primary ExaminerHenry S. .laudon Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Kenyon & Kenyon Reilly Carr & Chapin 5 7 ABSTRACT The breast beam and related structure for producing the periodic reciprocation of the cloth and shed apex relative to the front reversal position of the reed are driven directly from the actuating means for the shafts used to form the shed. To this end, a transmission made either of a rack and pinion type or of a cam and cam follower type is used to transfer the required driving force from the shaft actuating means to a pivotally mounted lever on which the breast beam is mounted.

12 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTED 17 SHEET 3 WEAVING MACHINE FOR PRODUCING TERRY CLOTH The invention relates to a weaving machine for the production of terry cloth and particularly to a machine having means operative on the cloth to produce a periodic reciprocation of the cloth and of the shed apex between a partial beating-up position and a full beatingup position relative to a front reversal position of a reed.

Weaving machines for producing terry cloth have generally employed a tensioning beam and a breast beam in a weaving plane in order to keep the warp yarns and the cloth tensioned during weaving. Usually, the warp yarns are formed by shafts into a shed into which the weft yarns are picked and in which a reed beats them up into the shed apex, a cloth being produced which is pulled out to its full width by a temple. The cloth is deflected at the breast beam, then passes over a cloth take-up roller (porcupine roller) and, after perhaps passing over other deflecting elements, is wound on a cloth beam. After each beat-up by the reed, the take-up roller advances the cloth by an amount corresponding to the spacing between two consecutive wefts in the finished cloth. This advance will be referred to hereinafter as the normal take-up motion.

For terry cloth, the machine usually has at least one extra warp beam, the pile warp beam, from which pile warp yarns are let off either with less tension than the ground warps or for brief periods completely untensioned. The pile warps are picked in accordance with the required pattern over the whole width of the ground warps and, in a manner to be described hereinafter, are woven into the cloth, forming pile loops.

If the shed apex can move, in the weaving plane and in the direction of cloth advance, relative to the front reversal point or position of the reed, the various weft yarns can be beaten up into the shed apex either in direct contiguous relationship with the existing cloth (full beating-up) or at a distance therefrom which determines the length of the pile loops formed in the finished cloth (partial beating-up). There are several known ways of achieving this. For instance, the reed can be moved backwards and forwards on a slay at the required cadence, the slay stroke being varied by altering the fulcrum of the slay lever. Alternatively, the front reversal point of the reed can remain unchanged while the warp yarns and the cloth are moved, e.g. by an appropriate periodic reciprocation of the tensioning beam and breast beam, in addition to their normal take-up motion for which the cloth take up roller is responsible.

In another known manner, a periodic reciprocating rotation is superimposed upon the normal take-up motion of the take-up roller by means of a differential transmission provided in the drive of the take-up roller, while the warp tension remains constant as a result of appropriate design or mounting of the tensioning beam and of the warp let-off facility.

During weaving, a full beating-up is followed by two partial beatings-up in the case of a three-weft weave and by three partial beatings-up in the case of a 4-weft weave, whereafter there is a full beating-up. The cycle of partial and full beatings-up recurs for as long as terry cloth is being produced. At the first such partial beating-up, the picked weft initially remains at a particular distance from the weft yarn which has just been fully beaten up, and the next partly beaten-up wefts join the first partly beaten-up weft. At the next full beating-up, the entire group of wefts which have been partly beaten up since the last full beating-up advances along the more highly tensioned ground warps until reaching the cloth previously formed. During this full beating-up, the pile warps, which are either less tensioned than the ground warps or not tensioned at all and which extend from the finished cloth to between the first and the sub sequent wefts which have initially been partly beaten up, are pulled forwards together with the less tightly beaten-up wefts and upset," to form the required pile loops or neps.

So that the edges of the cloth do not have to reciprocate unnecessarily through the temples during the periodic reciprocation of the cloth, with the attendant risk of damage, it has also been known for the temple to be reciprocated in the same way as the breast beam. in this event, the temple is mounted for movement in a guide which extends parallel to the cloth edge and is coupled either with the breast beam or with the drive thereof.

In the known terry cloth machines, the means for producing the periodic motion of the shed apex relative to the reed is produced by means of a cam disc or crank drive or toggle linkage or some other device for con verting rotation into reciprocation or by way of an auxiliary shaft which is coupled with the machine main shaft but usually runs at onethird the speed thereof in the case of a 3-weft weave or at one-quarter the speed thereof in the case of a 4-weft weave.

All these systems have a number of disadvantages. For instance, it is virtually impossible for any system of this kind to be fitted to an existing machine which produces plain cloth so that the machine can be modified to produce terry cloth as well. Also, it is an extremely complex matter to change over operation to produce a new pattern repeat, for instance, to change over from 3-weft to 4-weft working, and with multi-color machines (for the programmed automatic changing of the picking of wefts of different kinds and/or different colors). It is not always possible to provide pile loops of different or varying lengths in the same weaving operation. In the event of weft or warp breakage or of loss of weft, i.e. when a yarn stop motion stops the machine, weft-seeking (i.e. turning the main shaft back, replacing the faulty yarn and resuming weaving without disturbing the pattern repeat) (stripping) is a difficult and complex matter since the various changeover operations for controlling the shafts, partial and/or full beating-up, weft color changing and so on must be resynchronized if the finished cloth is not to contain irregularities.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a weaving machine which is capable of being easily adapted to produce either terry cloth or plain cloth.

It is another object of the invention to provide a simple means for changing over a terry cloth weaving machine for different pattern repeats.

It is another object of the invention to provide a terry cloth weaving machine which can produce pile loops of different or varying lengths in the same weaving operation.

It is another object of the invention to provide a terry cloth weaving machine which does not require resynchronizing after a yarn break.

Briefly, the invention provides a weaving machine having shafts for forming a shed, a reed for beating-up a weft yarn, a means for producing a periodic reciprocation of the cloth and shed apex between a partial beating-up position and a full beating-up position relative to a front reversal position of the reed, and an actuating means for moving the shafts with a drive means for driving the first means from the actuating means. In this way, the drive of the known means for producing the periodic relative motion of the cloth is derived from the actuation for the shafts. That is, the drive, and not merely the control, is provided by a card dobby or an eccentric machine or a jacquard attachment or similar means for programmed operation or control of the shafts and the other automatic changeovers (color changing, pile loop length, plain or terry cloth, etc). Thus, the various sub-operations of the weaving machine always remain synchronized, even for weft seeking.

The shaft actuating means serves to raise and lower each shaft individually. in accordance with the pattern repeat, from a bottom position to a raised position and back. Similarly, the function of the means for producing the periodic relative motion is to move the shed apex of the cloth forwards and backwards relative to the reed reversal point, i.e., from the partial beating-up position into the full beating-up position. However, the time available for this motion is much shorter than the time available for shaft changing. According to the invention, therefore, the drive of the means for producing the periodic motion includes a transmission means to shorten the duration of the relative motion as compared with the shaft motion.

Preferably, the transmission means has a rack and pinion, and a crank drive derived from the rotation of the pinion. According to another variant of this feature, in order to ensure the required accuracy of cloth apex position relative to the reed reversal point in partial beating-up, the crank and the movement of the crank are such that the crank-drive position corresponding to the partial beating-up position of the means producing the periodic relative motion of the cloth occurs at a dead-center position of the crank.

In another embodiment of the invention, the transmission means has a roller controlled by a camming device which has at least two operative positions, the first operative position being associated with the partial beating-up position of the means producing the periodic relative motion, while the second operative position corresponds to the full beating-up position of the last-mentioned means. In this case, either the shaft actuation linkage can reciprocate the camming guide vertically and the roller can be borne by the transmission linkage of the means producing the relative motion or vice versa.

In order to ensure that the full beating-up position is determined accurately, the means for producing the periodic relative motion can be associated with a stationary abutment for limiting the movement of an element of this means in the full beating-up position. For instance, the element can be a lever which bears and pivots the breast beam.

In still another embodiment, the drive means includes means for successively varying the duration of the periodic reciprocation of the cloth and shed apex relative to the motion of the shafts. In this case, the drive means includes at least two transmission means which are each selectively actuated from the shaft actuating means to individually drive the reciprocating means at different times in a programmed sequence. Each transmission means causes the breast beam and related structures to move a different amount relative to the full beating-up position to permit different lengths of pile loops to be formed.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description and appended claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a diagrammatic view of a first em bodimcnt of the invention, with means, operable by a rack and pinion, for producing a motion of the cloth relatively to the reed, the machine being shown in the full or complete beating-up position;

FIG. 2 illustrates a detail of cloth guidance by the breast beam and temple of the machine of FIG. 1, the same being shown in a partial beating-up position;

FIG. 3 illustrates another embodiment of the invention similar to FIG. 1 but having means operable by a cam and roller device; and

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of the main components of another embodiment of the invention similar to FIG. I but having two separate drive facilities to produce pile loops of different lengths.

Like elements have like reference numbers throughout the drawings; variants which perform the same function; and parts shown in a different position, have a distinguishing index letter as well as their reference number.

Referring to FIG. 1, a weaving machine for producing terry cloth of known kind in which the reed position, i.e., the front and rear reed reversal point, remain unchanged while the cloth and the warp yarns are reciprocated horizontally in the weaving plane at the cadence of the full and partial beatings-up, is supplied with ground warps I let offa ground warp beam 2 with retardation or control. The ground warps 1 pass via a deflecting roller 3 and a tensioning beam 4 to the machine. The tensioning beam 4 is mounted in means for maintaining warp yarn tension constant, two forms of which are shown in very simplified form in FIGS. 1 and 3.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the tensioning beam 4, 4a, respectively, is freely rotatable at the end of a double lever 5, 5a, respectively, which can pivot around a stationary spindle 6 and which is biased by a tension spring 7 so that the warp beam 4, 4a maintains the ground warps l at a substantially constant tension. For instance, in the case shown in FIG. 1, the beam 4 pivots forwards and backwards in the direction indicated by a double arrow 8 like a pulley-block roller. This motion can be used in known manner to control warp yarn letoff. Beam 4a is mounted similarly in FIG. 3 except that the lever 5a is straight.

Pile warps 9 are let off a pile warp beam 10 similarly except that they are tensioned much less than the ground warps l, the tension possibly decreasing right down to zero for brief periods. The pile warps 9 pass over their own tensioning beam 11, the same being borne by a lever 12 which can pivot around a spindle 13 and which is biased by a spring 14. The pile warps 9 are distributed over the width of the ground warps l in accordance with the required pattern of weave. Warp stop motions l5 detect the ground warps and the pile warps. The two kinds of warp both go through the heddles of shafts 16 which are vertically reciprocated individually. in accordance with the pattern repeat, by an actuating means, such as a shaft actuator 40, e.g. a card dobby or an eccentric machine or the like, to form a shed 17. A shuttle 18 picks a weft yarn into each shed at right-angles to the plane of the drawings. After each pick, a reed 19 which moves as indicated by a double arrow 20 beats the weft just picked into shed apex 21 as the reed 19 moves from a rear reversal position to a front reversal position 19a (shown in chain lines). As has been described in greater detail in the introductory portion hereof, the beating-up operation leads to the production of a finished cloth 22 whose edges are pulled apart to the full width by a temple 23. In the embodiment shown and which is known, the temple 23 is carried by a mounting 24 which is slidable in a guide 25 and which is pivoted to a breast beam 26. The breast beam 26 is so disposed on a lever 27 as to be pivotable forwards and backwards around a stationary spindle or pivot 28, as indicated by a double arrow 29, and moves the cloth 22 guided thereabout forwards and backwards, referred to the general direction of cloth movement. The breast beam 26 pulls the cloth from full beating-up position 21, shown in FIG. 1, into partial beating-up position 210, shown in FIG. 2, then back into the full beatingup position 21, in accordance with the terry loop program. The resilient tensioning beam facility 3-8 causes the warp yarns 1 to follow the movement of the cloth 22 so that the warp yarns l and the cloth 22 experience a substantially constant lengthwise tensioning in the weaving plane.

Referring to FIG. 2, the shed l7, temple 23 and breast beam 26 are shown in the forwards partial beating-up position, the shed apex having moved from the full position 21, shown in chain lines, into the partial position 21a. Corrcspondingly, the components 23, 24, 26, 27 are in the positions 23a, 24a, 26a, 27a.

After leaving the breast beam 26, the cloth 22 goes over a cloth take-up beam 30 which in the present case is a porcupine beam or roller and which takes up the cloth continuously at the same rate as the cloth is formed at the shed apex 2]. The take-up movement can be intermittent and be produced, e.g. by a pawl mechanism, the cloth being advanced after each pick by an amount corresponding to the mean interval between two consecutive wefts in the finished cloth. Alternatively, the cloth can be taken up continuously at an average rate corresponding to that of the intermittent take-up. After going over another deflecting roller 31 and, possibly other deflecting elements 32, the fin ished cloth 22 is finally wound on a cloth beam 33.

The foregoing describes what happens in the weaving of terry cloth on known weaving machines, the lever 27 which pivots the breast beam 26 deriving a drive from the machine main shaft, e.g. via a cam (not shown) rotating at reduced speed or via some similarly acting element.

In accordance with the invention. however, the shaft actuating means which is mounted on the machine frame actuates the means for producing the periodic relative motion of the shed apex and the reed front reversal point. To this end, the actuating means 40 has, for each shaft 16, a linkage 41 which moves the individual shafts up and down in accordance with the required pattern repeat. A part 42 (FIG. 1), 42a (FIG. 4) or 42h (FIG. 3) adapted to move vertically as indicated by a double arrow 43 and forming part of the transmission means serving to shorten the duration of the relative motion is connected to one, 41a, of the linkage 41.

Thus, the shaft actuating means 40 has two drive facilities, one for the shedding operation and one for the reciprocating action of the shed apex, which can be driven independently of one another. The drive facility for the reciprocating action of the shed apex may operate from a separately commutable control and driving section of the actuating means 40.

In the embodiments shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 4, the vertically moving part is a rack 42, 42a meshing with a pinion 44 rigidly connected via shaft 45 to a crank plate 46. The crank plate 46 has a crank pin 47 on which a link 48 is mounted. The other end of the link 48 is pivoted via a pivot 49 to the breast-beam lever 27 to control the movement thereof. When the rack 42 reciprocates vertically, pinion 44 performs a limited cir cular reciprocation, or oscillation, as indicated by a double arrow 44a. The crank plate 46, in turn, is so adjusted that, when the temple 23 and breast beam 26 are in the partial beating-up position, the crank pin 47a is substantially in a rear position 47 (shown in chain lines in FIG. 1) whereas, when the temple 23 and breast beam 26 are in the full beating-up position the crank pin 47 moves towards a front dead-center position.

In a preferred form, the pivot 49 is disposed on a clamping element (not shown) clampable anywhere in a slot 50 in the lever 27 so that the operative pivoting movement of the lever 27 can be adjusted as needed in known manner (FIG. 4).

The pivot 49 also comprises a slide block 51 which is freely slidable in a slot 52 in link 48. When the crank plate 46 rotates in the direction in which the crank pin 47 or 470 moves towards the rear dead-center position, the slide block 51 strikes an abutment 53 at that end of the slot 52 which is distal from crank pin 47. The slide block 51 then pulls the bottom end of the lever 27 to the left as viewed as the crank plate 46 continues to rotate, i.e., the lever 27 pivots clockwise around the spindle 28, breast beam 26 and template 23 move to the right and a partial beating-up occurs in the manner shown in FIG. 2, the crank pin 47 being substantially in the rear dead-center position 47. This ensures that shed apex 21 is correctly positioned with great accuracy during partial beating-up.

When the crank plate 46 moves in the opposite direction so that crank pin 47 approaches the front deadcenter position, at a particular time, lever 27 strikes a stationary abutment 54 which can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 3 and which also locates the lever 27 very accurately in the full beating-up position. As the crank plate 46 continues to rotate until the crank pin 47 reaches the front dead center position, the slide block 51 disengages from the abutment 53 and slides along the slot 52. This state is shown on the right of FIG. 4, the respective elements being in positions 4811 to 53a. In FIG. 4, the pivot 49a is shown at a top position in the slot 50a, corresponding to short operative movements of the breast beam 26 and temple 23, i.e., corresponding to the production of relatively short pile loops in the finished cloth.

FIG. 4 therefore shows how it is possible to use a weaving machine according to the invention to produce pile loops of different length alternately while weaving to a particular program, by the provision of two independent transmission elements 42 to 48 and 42a to 48a coupled with two different linkages 41a, 41b

which can be driven independently of one another by the shaft actuating means 40 in accordance with the required pattern of weave, one of the transmission elements being driven to produce the required relative motion while the other transmission element is stationary, i.e. the corresponding slide block 51 reciprocates freely in the slot 52 until there is a change and the other transmission element starts to be driven. Change devices of this kind to produce pile loops of different lengths by the use of a number of drive systems driven off the machine main shaft are known and can be engaged selectively. In contrast to this invention, however, what is derived in the known systems from the shaft actuation if merely the control of changing but not the drive therefor. The combination according to the invention of two or more drive facilities with a single shaft actuating means, more particularly a card dobby, provides considerable advantages over the known constructions, more particularly improved adaptability in special operating conditions, in changing the pattern repeat, in fault-clearing (weft seeking) and so on.

Referring to FIG. 3, the drive means can alternatively use a cam and cam follower type of transmission means for shortening the duration of the periodic relative motion. To this end, the part 4212. which reciprocates vertically as indicated by a double arrow 43, is formed on a linkage 41a as the carrier of a camming guide 6062 having two operative positions, the partial beating-up position 60 and the full beating-up position 61. A transition cam 62 is located between these two positions and in theory can have any shape and which is shown for the sake of simplicity as an inclined straight line. In practice, however, it is advantageous for the transition cam 62 to have a rounded shape something like a sin curve, for improved dynamics. In addition, a roller 63 which is rotatably mounted at the free end ofa lever 63 pivotable around a stationary spindle or pivot 64 bears against the camming guide 60-62. When the camming guide 60-62 descends, the roller 63 is pivoted from the solid-line full beating-up position 63 shown into the partial beating-up position 630, shown in chain lines, and pulls the link 48 pivoted to lever 65 to the left. The breast beam 26 and the temple 23 are thus caused to pivot into their partial beating-up position 260, 23a respectively (FIG. 2). Of course, the relative positions of the camming guide 60-62 and roller 63 can be reversed without any appreciable change of impairment of operation.

Nothing in the nature of the invention will be altered if the relative motion between the reed front reversal point 19a and the shed apex 21 is produced not by a periodic motion of the cloth 22 but by a movement of the point 19a, for instance, as disclosed by Swiss Pat. No. 421,858 and corresponding US. Pat. No. 3,339,589, in which a slide block bearing the reed is moved on the slay, or by varying the slay stroke. In such a case, the breast beam and temple are stationary and the link 48 moves either the reed-bearing slide block or the slay lever fulcrum.

Similarly, in a weaving machine wherein, as in one embodiment disclosed by Swiss Pat. No. 445,405 and corresponding US Pat. No. 3,428,095, the breast beam and temple are stationary and the cloth is taken up by a roller driven via a differential transmission. a circular reciprocation being superimposed upon the normal take-up movement of such roller, the link 48 can transmit the periodic motion to one input of the differential transmission. the other input thereof being driven in accordance with the normal take-up motion. The transmission output shaft is coupled to the cloth take-up roller which imparts to the cloth the required motion comprising the normal take-up motion and a periodic forwards and backwards motion.

What is claimed is:

1. In a weaving machine for producing terry cloth having a plurality of shafts for forming a shed from warp yarns, a reed for beating a weft yarn with the shed into a cloth at a shed apex, first means for producing a periodic reciprocation of the cloth and shed-apex be tween a partial beating-up position and a full beatingup position relative to a front reversal position of said reed and an actuating means for individually moving said shafts to form a shed; a drive means connected between said actuating means and said first means for driving said first means from said actuating means, said drive means including a transmission means for selectively varying the duration of the periodic reciproca tion of the cloth and shed apex relative to the motion of said shafts.

2. In a weaving machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein said transmission means includes a camming guide connected to said actuating means to be driven between two operative positions, the first operative position corresponding to said partial beating-up position and the second operative position corresponding to said full beating-up position, and a roller responsive to said operative positions of said camming guide for driving said first means.

3. In a weaving machine as set forth in claim I which further includes a stationary abutment for limiting movement of said first means past said full beating-up position.

4. In a weaving machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first means includes a pivotally mounted lever and a breast beam mounted on said lever for passage of the cloth thereover, said lever being connected to said drive means for pivoting between said beatingup positions.

5. In a weaving machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein said actuating means is synchronized with the motion of said reed.

6. In a weaving machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein said drive means includes means for successively varying the duration of the periodic reciprocation of the cloth and shed apex relative to the motion of said shafts.

7. In a weaving machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein said actuating means includes a linkage for each said shaft for moving said shafts up and down and a vertically reciprocal linkage connected to said drive means for activating said drive means.

8. In a weaving machine as set forth in claim 7 wherein said drive means includes a transmission means for selectively varying the duration of the periodic reciprocation of the cloth and shed apex relative to the motion of said shafts and said transmission means includes a rack connected to said vertical reciprocal linkage to be reciprocally driven thereby, a pinion in meshing engagement with said rack to be oscillated thereby and a crank drive connected to said pinion and said first means to drive said first means in response to oscillation of said pinion.

9. In a weaving machine for producing terry cloth having a plurality of shafts for forming a shed from warp yarns. a reed for beating a weft yarn within the shed into a cloth at a shed apex, first means for producing a periodic reciprocation of the cloth and shed apex between a partial beating-up position and a full beating-up position relative to a front reversal position of said reed and an actuating means for moving said shafts to form a shed; a drive means connected between said actuating means and said first means for driving said first means from said actuating means, said drive means including a transmission means for selectively varying the duration of the periodic reciprocation of the cloth and shed apex relative to the motion of said shafts, and said transmission means including a rack connected to said actuating means to be reciprocally driven thereby, a pinion in meshing engagement with said rack to be oscillated thereby and a crank drive connected to said pinion and said first means to drive said first means in response to oscillation of said pinion.

10. In a weaving machine as set forth in claim 9 wherein said crank drive has a dead center position corresponding to said partial beating-up position.

11. In a weaving machine for producing terry cloth having a plurality of shafts for forming a shed from warp yarns, a reed for beating a weft yarn within the shed into a cloth at a shed apex, a cloth take-up means and a means for producing a normal cloth take-up on said cloth take-up means, first means for producing a periodic reciprocation of the cloth and shed apex between a partial beating-up position and a full beatingup position relative to a front reversal position of said reed and an actuating means for moving said shafts to form a shed, said first means being synchronized with the motion of said reed to superimpose said periodic reciprocation of the cloth on said normal cloth take-up; a drive means connected between said actuating means and said first means for driving said first means from said actuating means.

12. In a weaving machine for producing terry cloth having a plurality of individually actuated shafts for forming alternating sheds from warp yarns according to a required pattern program, a reed for beating a weft yarn within a shed into a cloth at a shed apex, first means for producing a periodic reciprocation of the cloth and shed apex between a partial beating-up position and a full beating-up position relative to a front reversal position of said reed, and an actuating means for moving said shafts to form successive sheds; a drive means connected between a separately commutable control and driving section of said actuating means and said first means for driving said first means from said actuating means according to an individual program thereof distinct from said pattern program. 

1. In a weaving machine for producing terry cloth having a plurality of shafts for forming a shed from warp yarns, a reed for beating a weft yarn with the shed into a cloth at a shed apex, first means for producing a periodic reciprocation of the cloth and shed apex between a partial beating-up position and a full beating-up position relative to a front reversal position of said reed and an actuating means for individually moving said shafts to form a shed; a drive means connected between said actuating means and said first means for driving said first means from said actuating means, said drive means including a transmission means for selectively varying the duration of the periodic reciprocation of the cloth and shed apex relative to the motion of said shafts.
 2. In a weaving machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein said transmission means includes a camming guide connected to said actuating means to be driven between two operative positions, the first operative position corresponding to said partial beating-up position and the second operative position corresponding to said full beating-up position, and a roller responsive to said operative positions of said camming guide for driving said first means.
 3. In a weaving machine as set forth in claim 1 which further includes a stationary abutment for limiting movement of said first means past said full beating-up position.
 4. In a weaving machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first means includes a pivotally mounted lever and a breast beam mounted on said lever for passage of the cloth thereover, said lever being connected to said drive means for pivoting between said beating-up positions.
 5. In a weaving machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein said actuating means is synchronized with the motion of said reed.
 6. In a weaving machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein said drive means includes means for successively varying the duration of the periodic reciprocation of the cloth and shed apex relative to the motion of said shafts.
 7. In a weaving machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein said actuating means includes a Linkage for each said shaft for moving said shafts up and down and a vertically reciprocal linkage connected to said drive means for activating said drive means.
 8. In a weaving machine as set forth in claim 7 wherein said drive means includes a transmission means for selectively varying the duration of the periodic reciprocation of the cloth and shed apex relative to the motion of said shafts and said transmission means includes a rack connected to said vertical reciprocal linkage to be reciprocally driven thereby, a pinion in meshing engagement with said rack to be oscillated thereby and a crank drive connected to said pinion and said first means to drive said first means in response to oscillation of said pinion.
 9. In a weaving machine for producing terry cloth having a plurality of shafts for forming a shed from warp yarns, a reed for beating a weft yarn within the shed into a cloth at a shed apex, first means for producing a periodic reciprocation of the cloth and shed apex between a partial beating-up position and a full beating-up position relative to a front reversal position of said reed and an actuating means for moving said shafts to form a shed; a drive means connected between said actuating means and said first means for driving said first means from said actuating means, said drive means including a transmission means for selectively varying the duration of the periodic reciprocation of the cloth and shed apex relative to the motion of said shafts, and said transmission means including a rack connected to said actuating means to be reciprocally driven thereby, a pinion in meshing engagement with said rack to be oscillated thereby and a crank drive connected to said pinion and said first means to drive said first means in response to oscillation of said pinion.
 10. In a weaving machine as set forth in claim 9 wherein said crank drive has a dead center position corresponding to said partial beating-up position.
 11. In a weaving machine for producing terry cloth having a plurality of shafts for forming a shed from warp yarns, a reed for beating a weft yarn within the shed into a cloth at a shed apex, a cloth take-up means and a means for producing a normal cloth take-up on said cloth take-up means, first means for producing a periodic reciprocation of the cloth and shed apex between a partial beating-up position and a full beating-up position relative to a front reversal position of said reed and an actuating means for moving said shafts to form a shed, said first means being synchronized with the motion of said reed to superimpose said periodic reciprocation of the cloth on said normal cloth take-up; a drive means connected between said actuating means and said first means for driving said first means from said actuating means.
 12. In a weaving machine for producing terry cloth having a plurality of individually actuated shafts for forming alternating sheds from warp yarns according to a required pattern program, a reed for beating a weft yarn within a shed into a cloth at a shed apex, first means for producing a periodic reciprocation of the cloth and shed apex between a partial beating-up position and a full beating-up position relative to a front reversal position of said reed, and an actuating means for moving said shafts to form successive sheds; a drive means connected between a separately commutable control and driving section of said actuating means and said first means for driving said first means from said actuating means according to an individual program thereof distinct from said pattern program. 